Role Reversal
by Seldavia
Summary: GxZ. She says he was attempting to follow the same path Evil always takes. He says he wanted to protect his people and hers from an even greater danger. Title and rating may change.
1. Chapter 1

The dungeons of Hyrule castle were neither expansive nor all that frightening, as peacetime in this country produced little more than pickpockets or fraudsters. Its tenders swept them clean every morning, gave its "guests" a clean bed of straw, and provided simple food and water. Not a comfortable place by any means, but certainly preferable to cold winter nights as far as debtors were concerned.

The Shadow Temple just outside Kakariko village, however, was another story.

"Temple" was a misnomer, a name given to hide its true identity. This was where the Shekiah, the shadowy guardians of the Royal Family, brought enemies of the Crown. Often those who entered never left, with smears of crimson on its floors and fresh dirt in the potters' field the only evidence they had ever existed. In peacetime its halls lay empty, waiting for the next cycle of chaos that the unfortunate country seemed to experience on a regular basis.

For the first time in many years, the Shadow Temple had a visitor. Like all of those preceding him, he did not come of his own free will. This one, however, had required more "persuasion" than the usual guest. Because of this, the Shekiah kept him chained, in a far corner of the Temple, and with a magical barrier surrounding his tiny cell. For he was no ordinary man, but a sorcerer, and a King in his own right.

He had committed the worst crime possible in Hyrule; attempting to steal the sacred icon that held the very fabric of the country together, for his own control. The fact that he still lived spoke volumes about his power, both physically and in terms of magic. But slowly, surely, the Shekiah moved toward putting an end to that.

He half-stood, half hung against the wall, as the chains did not allow him to lie down or sit. His head nodded forward, eyes shut, trying to rest in the welcome silence. Angry welts and open gashes crisscrossed his dark skin, and brown clotted blood stuck in his red hair. His amber eyes opened ever so slightly as his ears picked up the sound of footsteps.

He felt the barrier disappear, and the door opened; a young, lithe Shekiah stepped inside. He raised his head and gave his visitor a biting, scornful look. "Drop the act. I know who you are," he snarled, then added with relish, "Traitor."

"It was you who betrayed me." A woman's voice spoke from the boy's mouth, and then her form shifted to show her true identity. Princess Zelda's sapphire eyes stared out just as hard as the amber ones of her prisoner. "To think you would do this…all those assurances you made over the years…nothing but lies! If I did not have my own duties I would join the Shekiah in carrying out your sentence…"

"Stop speaking nonsense," Ganondorf spat. "You honestly believe what that Kando fool has told you?"

Zelda straightened her shoulders. "What he said does not matter. We found you in the Temple of Time, about to open the door to the Sacred Realm…you cannot deny it."

"I do not," he stated with solid confirmation. "But I did not go there to steal the Triforce for my own designs…I went to keep it safe by taking it out of _his_ hands."

Zelda's eyes narrowed. "You are a fool," she said simply. "Your misplaced contempt for Ocine is disgusting. All this out of jealousy…"

"_Jealousy?!_" The man planted his feet on the ground, rising up and leaning forward. "You think this is about _jealousy_? What happened to that Wisdom your bloodline is supposed to possess, that you cannot see what a threat Ocine is to _your_ people as well as mine?!"

Zelda stood silent, but kept her gaze steady. "I know he is not an ideal ally," she said softly. "But the fact remains…one person committed the unspeakable crime, and that was you, not him."

Ganondorf sighed, slumping back into his original position. "I suppose there is no point in arguing," he said half in anger, half in sadness. "You are not the person you once were."

"Neither are you." Zelda turned on her heel and stalked out the door, slamming it behind her. He shut his eyes once more as the magic barrier crackled to life around him.

-&-

The girl would not sit still. She got into _everything_, and Ganondorf had his hands full chasing her around the Fortress. _'You'll be the best of friends', she says,_ he thought angrily to himself, his mother's words echoing in his head. _'Just treat the Hylian Princess as you would any one of your sisters,' she says._

Fat chance of that. He doubted very much that he would be allowed to whale on the impudent little girl, not that he ever did so with any of his sisters. _They_ had an ounce of sense. _They_ didn't pick up scorpions from the ground as if they had found a new toy, and not something that would kill them within a half-minute of a strike from their tail. In fact, he was convinced that the Gerudo babies had more sense than the Hylian Princess.

To make things worse, she seemed to find darting between his legs just as he made an empty snatch in the air to be the most fun of games, and the proud Prince – nearing adulthood at twelve – was forced to play babysitter.

All color drained from his face as she scrambled out a window into the darkness of the night. He'd never find her if she ran away from the Fortress, especially the way the wind was blowing in the desert tonight. He snatched a torch from the wall and practically dived through after her.

To his relief, she stood stock-still outside, staring up at the sky. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Come on, that's enough fun for one day. Let's go back, huh?"

"So many stars…" She stood in awe, eyes wide, and Ganondorf followed her gaze.

"Yeah, the sky's clearer than usual tonight," he said off-handedly, pulling at her arm again.

"I've never seen so many!" Zelda turned back to the Fortress and scrambled up an outside stairway. "We've got more torches at the castle…and I'm not allowed out after dark…"

Ganondorf rolled his eyes. Not allowed out after dark? Great Goddesses…

Zelda clambered up toward the watch-fires, Ganondorf puffing behind her. Finally she got to the higher end of the Fortress and instantly lay down on the roof, staring up at the stars above her. "That one's the Hero," she stated with much authority as she pointed to a set of three bright pinpoints of light. "See, those three are his belt, and you follow those up to his hand, holding his sword."

Ganondorf shrugged, sitting down next to her. His people used the stars for guidance in the desert, not for entertainment. "If you say so."

She giggled. "I like it here," she said. "It's more open, more free…" she rolled to one side and looked at him. "Do you think I'll be able to come again?"

He shrugged. "I suppose so," he replied, and felt surprised to find that he did not mind.

-&-

Zelda nervously tugged at the collar of her dress. At sixteen, she would be introduced as a woman, instead of a girl, to her country for the first time. She had a lot riding on this; her entire reputation and future respect as a sovereign leader, for example.

Her tutors had forced her to run through the motions much more than necessary, so she walked through the ballroom on automatic pilot, offering her hand and accepting bows and curtsies just as she should. She greeted all the usual courtiers first, then the representatives of the other races. Ruto was as giggly as ever, but Ganondorf had become moody over the past few months, probably because she had been preoccupied with palace things. This was hardly her fault, and she told him so, but he gave her a short, clipped answer and walked off. Zelda sighed and left him alone.

"Hello." Zelda stopped her praise of a lady-in-waiting's new baby to see Ocine, the young prince from Kando, standing next to her. His dark hair had an odd violet tinge that was nonetheless quite common in his home country. "I haven't seen you in several years. You've grown into a beautiful young woman."

"You're very kind to say so." Zelda found this exchange of pleasantries exhausting, as one word could have a hundred different meanings, based on inflection and context.

He smiled warmly. "I brought a birthday gift for you." Ocine handed her a small box. "I know it's early, but when I saw your dress, I thought it would go quite nicely with it."

She opened the box and found, to her surprise, a gold necklace with several precious gems studded across it. The people around her marveled, pressing in for a closer look, the metalwork and quality of the jewels much finer than most of the riches she herself possessed.

And yet she hesitated to touch it, for she had heard where the Kando got their labor for the mines, and what they did to them. She knew that many refugees from the country had fled to Hyrule, and had listened to many of their stories as they pleaded for asylum. Zelda did not want to walk among her people, seeking their respect, with blood diamonds around her neck.

Of course, the courtiers had no idea that was what they were, and pressed her to try it on. She hid her reluctance as she did, briefly wondering who was really in charge here, if a Princess could not impose her will on those below her. But it was more complex than that. There were rules to be followed.

The small quartet began tuning their instruments, a signal that they would soon be playing the Debutante's Dance. Here Zelda would be expected to bring most of the male attendees onto the floor with her, but special meaning was attached to who she chose first. Ocine touched her arm with a little smile, and Zelda felt a small wave of dread wash over her.

But when the quartet launched into song, it was a lively Gerudo tune. Ocine frowned slightly, but said, "Well, I'm not familiar with this one, but if you'd like to…"

"Actually, I know someone who is," she replied, and walked away. A little abrupt perhaps, but considering the circumstances…

Ganondorf stood up against the wall, as if attempting to make himself an inanimate decoration like the suits of armor. He looked up in surprise as she extended her hand, then his face split in a wide grin.

She could see a few looks of surprise among those assembled, but she didn't care. For a few brief moments she could be herself, in the company of a close friend, without worrying about what should be done. As he led her over the dance floor, she took heart in his eager guidance.

-&-

Zelda ran her hands through her hair, driven to distraction by the numerous requests she had been given just in the past half hour. She had retreated to her room, unable to concentrate on anything but the betrayal of one that had once been close to her – and what she had to do to him to uphold the laws of her country.

Link, her bodyguard and constant companion, knew what she was thinking without asking. "I know it can't be helped, and I'm sorry," he offered, significant words from the person who had brought the Gerudo King down in the first place. "People change, over time. I guess he's not the same person you knew as a child."

She stared off into space. "I get the feeling I'm doing something terribly wrong," she said. "But there's no denying what he was about to do, and what would have happened afterward."

He put a hand on her shoulder. "You're doing the right thing, I know it."

Somehow, Zelda was not so sure.


	2. Chapter 2

Ganondorf stood at attention as the small procession entered through the gates of the Fortress, or at least as well as any four-year-old could. He liked the Hylian Queen; she often played with him and sometimes gave him sweets. Today, though, he was not allowed to play.

The King helped the Queen out of the simple coach, not trusting anyone else to do this for him. The Queen, heavy with child, smiled at Ganondorf's mother, the High Priestess of the Spirit Temple. "Has everything been prepared?" she asked politely, in flawless Gerudo.

The High Priestess nodded. "Yes, your Majesty. I will act as midwife myself, along with two of my assistants."

The King said something short and curt, the unfamiliar Hylian words harsh on Ganondorf's ears. The Queen listened patiently, then translated for the Priestess. "Please forgive my husband…I've explained that men aren't allowed in the Spirit Temple during the birthing process, but he is…understandably concerned."

Ganondorf watched as his mother forced a smile. "Please tell your husband that we pride ourselves on being the best midwives in Hyrule, and that he has nothing to worry about."

She did so, but the King did not look convinced. Ganondorf glared back as he gave him a suspicious stare. The appearance of a male Gerudo made the Hylians nervous for some reason, and the King had never been fond of them. It was the Queen who spoke with and sorted out relations with the Gerudo.

As his mother helped the Queen into the palanquin, Ganondorf watched the Hylian King scowl after them, and wondered what his people had done to so anger the ruler of the kingdom.

-&-

"See? I can write my name." Ganondorf proudly held up a scrap of parchment with a wobbly set of Gerudo characters on it.

"That's very good, sweetie," the Queen replied, trying to hide a grimace as the labor pains came faster. The Prince set about to find something else to distract her attention, pulling a set of faces. There really wasn't much that a small child with limited experience could draw on.

Finally he felt the palanquin touch the ground, and his mother parted the curtains. "Come, your Highness. We've arrived at the Temple."

Ganondorf stayed outside the entrance with the palanquin carriers. "Is she gonna be okay?" he asked with some trepidation. Having babies was hard, he'd heard. Sometimes women died in the attempt, and their children with them.

Both carriers smiled at him. "She'll be fine, my Prince. Your mother is the best midwife in Hyrule."

Ganondorf hopped around on the exposed stones for a while, pretending the sand was lava from the Gorons' mountain. But like any small child, he got bored easily. He pulled at the pants of the carriers and whined that he wanted to go back.

"You have to wait until the Queen is finished, my Prince," they told him. "We told you this when you asked to come along."

"I'm hot. Can I go just into the entrance?"

"All right. But remember, you're not allowed in the Sanctuary right now."

He trotted inside the Temple, sighing in relief at the relative coolness of the shade. He tumbled around for a while, turning somersaults and playing at being a swordsman. The young Prince lasted all of twenty minutes before he became bored again.

He glanced out the doorway, seeing the carriers chatting away and not paying attention to him at all. With a secretive grin, he ran up the stairs and to the left, where his elder sister had told him there was a secret passage, so small only a child could pass through. He crawled into the next room easily, then set off for the Sanctuary.

Ganondorf still hadn't figured out the whole baby thing yet, particularly how it started and how it ended. He had a running bet with his elder sister that babies came out of the belly button, as he'd heard it was somehow involved. Now he would finally find out.

Of course, he was not supposed to be in the Sanctuary. No men were. But…he was the Prince, and technically a _boy_, so it shouldn't matter, right?

He followed the pain-filled cries of the Queen and emerged from a door alongside the statue of the Sand Goddess, the two attendants offering their prayers as his mother stood with her hands between the Queen's legs. He stood frozen in fear, noticing streaks of blood on the ground and his mother's arms. What were they doing, cutting the Queen open?!

The Queen let forth another anguished cry, and Ganondorf saw something move into his mother's hands. He stifled an onslaught of giggles, like a child that has seen a booger, upon realizing where that baby was.

Another push, and the baby fell into the Priestess' arms, the Queen collapsing in exhaustion. The attendants finished their prayers and then rushed to mop up the mess, pressing damp cloths against the Queen's sweaty face. The cries of the new baby echoed throughout the Sanctuary, and Ganondorf felt himself drawn toward the sound.

After cleaning the child and wrapping it into a richly woven Gerudo cloth, the High Priestess handed it to the worn out Queen. "Congratulations, your Highness. You have a healthy baby girl."

"What are you doing here?" An attendant yelped, and Ganondorf nearly jumped ten feet in the air. Before he could react, his own mother slapped him hard across the face.

"What are you doing?" she snapped. "How dare you endanger a new mother and child!"

"Oh, don't hurt him, please," the Queen interrupted anxiously. "I'm sure he's just curious…"

"I'm sorry, your Highness, but he knows the laws. Boy, I've told you that you could bring sickness in from outside…"

"Please don't," the Queen interjected as the High Priestess raised her hand to strike the boy again. "Look here, sweetie, do you want to see the baby?"

"Your Highness…" the Priestess warned. "I'd advise against this…"

The Queen ignored her and leaned down so the Prince could better see the bundle in her hands. He stared intensely at the tiny, wrinkled person, a few curls of blonde hair on her nearly bald head and bright blue showing through her half-shut eyes. "Hi, baby."

"The baby's name is Zelda, honey."

"Hi Sel-ta." The rough Hylian words sounded harsh in his mouth. The baby stared at him gravely, yawned, and burped.

"Don't touch," his mother warned as he leaned forward. He didn't, but could not stop staring. Such a tiny, helpless person! He felt the sudden need to cuddle it as the Queen did, to protect it from the outside dangers beyond the safety of the Sanctuary…

-&-

Ganondorf slept fitfully, the chains digging into his wrists when he sagged forward too much. Two years after Zelda's birth, the Queen had died of an unknown illness. He did not dare tell the King what had happened in the Sanctuary, for by then he had a better idea of what the man thought of his people. The Hylian King no more trusted the Gerudo to deliver the baby safely than he did a den full of wolves. Ganondorf grieved anew for the Hylian Queen, Zelda's mother, one of the few who had treated the Gerudo as equals.

For this reason, he had not told Zelda either of the promise he had made when she was born. Even as a child, he knew the gravity of a binding oath. And he had sworn he would protect this child as he would his own people, with his life if necessary.

Even in this dark hour, even though she had turned against him, he knew it was his duty to do so. Ever since the day of her birth, their two races had been bound together. If she were not fit to keep her people from danger, then he would do it for her.

Even if that meant removing her from the throne. Doubt had taken root in his heart, a deep unease that came with her changes in personality over the years. This was not the first time he wondered if she were fit to keep Hyrule stable, if she fully understood its people…

-&-

Zelda leapt gracefully, effortlessly through the air, hearing it whistle round her ears as she rejoiced in her newfound secret freedom. With Link sympathetic to her needs and the skills she had learned from her nursemaid Impa, she quickly swept through Hyrule like a swift shadow, dressed in a Shekiah's clothing.

She arrived at the first checkpoint for the path to the Gerudo Fortress, heart pounding in anticipation and excitement. Tonight she would put her abilities to the test, passing through the layers of guards without notice. She knew that the Gerudo had every right to kill on sight any person they found trespassing on their lands. That only increased her eagerness, elated to feel and watch herself move like a ghost, free from her skirts and corset.

She passed the first checkpoint with little trouble; but then it was only two guards and one fire, more to stop and warn travelers than anything else. Zelda slipped past the next one with relative ease, her blood temperature rising as the blocky shape of the Fortress came into view. She had never done anything like this before, never so completely stepped out of her role, never put herself in deliberate danger. And it thrilled her to the core.

Finally she stood in the middle of the Fortress, nary a soul aware of her presence. She wanted to laugh out loud, the adrenaline in her body making her giddy with excitement. She set her sights on the most heavily guarded room in the Fortress, her mind screaming every moment for an even bigger thrill.

She crouched upon its roof, watching with a mischievous smile as the two guards below her turned their heads this way and that, perhaps aware of a foreign presence but unable to confirm its existence. Zelda leaned over and peeked inside the window, watching her close friend and fellow ruler sleep peacefully.

Her smile widened. Now she was finally going to pay him back for all those barbs about her privileged station, her weakness as a fighter, all the times he'd left her on her butt in the dust during friendly sparring matches.

She twisted her body down and through the window, carefully placing her feet on either side of his bed. 'He's going to get such a tickling…'

Suddenly the man in the bed leaped up, grabbing her by the throat and throwing her against the wall. "Whoa, whoa! Ganondorf, it's me!"

He paused, half-asleep and suspicious. Zelda pulled her hair out from under the tight cap. "See, look!"

He released her throat but leaned against her slightly as the blood rushed to his head. "Din, Zelda, don't scare me like that! Just because you managed to tiptoe in the door…"

"I did not, I got past all your guards all by myself," she declared with obvious pride. "Impa's been teaching me the arts of the Shekiah." She pulled down the fabric of her uniform to expose a long scar on her shoulder. "First battle scar. Well, it was a match between Impa and me, but still…what do you think?"

He said nothing, touching the scar on her shoulder gently, his face contemplative. "What's the matter?" Zelda demanded. "Is the pretty Princess not allowed to have any scars? You're the one who…"

She drew in her breath sharply as he pressed his lips against her shoulder, a completely new kind of thrill rushing through her, different from the last one but just as addictive. Unconsciously she placed her hand on the back of his head, pressing him closer. He moved his head and kissed her neck, his teeth touching the cord of her throat ever so slightly. Hyped up on adrenaline, she gave a little cry of pleasure and embraced him, suddenly realizing that he wore only a slight cloth around his hips.

That spurred him to press her further against the wall, and he brushed his lips against the corners of her mouth. He kissed her, deeply, and she suddenly felt that as close as they were, she had get even closer. She kissed him back, gripping his shoulders as he pushed even harder against her. His hands pulled at her clothing, exposing her upper body, allowing her to feel his heartbeat against her own.

Just as suddenly as he started, he stopped and took several steps back. "Wh…what's the matter?" she asked, disheveled and confused. "Did I do something wrong?"

Ganondorf shook his head, but didn't meet her eyes. "No…you haven't done anything wrong. But…it's getting late. You should go back home."

"It won't take that long for me to get home." She wrapped her arms around him. "Don't worry…"

"No!" He roughly pushed her away. Hurt and a little frightened, Zelda pulled her Shekiah uniform back over her shoulders.

"I don't understand…why don't you want to…"

"Want has nothing to do with it." He kept his eyes on the floor, on the walls, anywhere but at her. "I can't go any further than this. If someone found out…"

"What does it matter?" she demanded. "Who is going to object? I'm allowed to choose my suitors. If something happens, we can say it was my idea. I was the one who snuck in here, after all."

"You don't get it, do you?!" Ganondorf snarled, his yellow eyes flashing like a cat's in the dark. "Whatever we do, I'm going to get blamed. Don't you see that? What I want, for myself, for my people, whether it's you or anything else…your people will resent me for it." He stood straight, his jaw set. "They'll believe you officially, oh yes, but they'll talk behind our backs. About the sordid Gerudo who has a fortress full of women but still isn't satisfied. How I must have seduced you somehow, because no Hylian Princess would ever do this of her own will. How I just want to take your country, seize it by taking you to my bed."

Zelda's blood ran cold as she realized the position she had put him in. The position she held as a ruler of several fiefdoms, whose own leaders could never compare in the eyes of her own people, regardless of their merits. How even if she chose him to sit by her throne after all the proper procedures, a traditional wedding and everything else, that they still would not see him as equal.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. She could not think of anything else to say.

His eyes softened, and he stepped forward to give her a warm, chaste hug. "It's all right. I won't stop being your friend, whatever happens."

She smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

He let her go and stepped back. "You really should return now."

Zelda nodded. Without a word, she slipped through the window and back toward Hyrule Castle.

-&-

Zelda couldn't sleep. Despite all the rules he'd broken, all the things he'd done to open the doors to the Sacred Realm, she could not believe that Ganondorf had intended to seize her country by force. It just seemed wrong, even though all the evidence was there.

But what would Ocine gain to frame Ganondorf? Yes, Ocine has pressed her several times to choose a suitor. She was already a few years above the age where she'd be expected to marry. But on that night, both Zelda and Ganondorf had realized that what they wanted was not possible. So why would Ocine feel threatened by him?

She rolled out of bed and strode to the window. She could not allow her old friend to die like a dog in the Shadow Temple, regardless of what he had done. Perhaps he could be exiled…

Suddenly the door to her chambers burst open, and Link fell on the ground just inside her bedroom. She gasped in horror as she saw the crimson streaks all over his clothing, the red puddle quickly forming under his body.

"Goddesses, Link, what happened?!" she demanded, lifting his head so he could speak. His eyes fluttered, and he swallowed hard, attempting to speak. "Zelda…Ocine…staging a coup…"

"What?!" Zelda demanded, not believing her ears. "Did he go to the Temple of Time?"

"No…the Shekiah…" Link groaned and closed his eyes, trembling slightly. "Two factions. Many on Ocine's side. They're going to the desert…going to destroy the Gerudo…the only force stronger than the Hylian army. While their King is imprisoned. Kill them and force the Hylians and Shekiah to serve Ocine…"

With a last rattling breath, he leaned her head back and died.


	3. Chapter 3

Zelda kneeled there, transfixed, the dead Hero's head in her lap. Suddenly angry shouts echoed far down the corridor, and Time threw her back into the world of the living.

Ocine was coming. He had the favor of the King and half the Shekiah. And he had killed the Chosen Hero.

Zelda did not waste time thinking about what he would do when he found her, whether he would kill her or attempt to subjugate her. A single coherent thought stood sharp and fast in her mind. She needed to get away, far away, NOW.

As she struggled to her feet, wobbly-legged, she shifted Link's hands over his chest, then changed her mind. He had given his life to protect her. He had sworn to serve her even in death. She dragged his body over the cold stone floor, making it look like he had crawled through the bedroom, searching in vain. Then, though it pained her to do so, she left him there, shifting into her Shekiah uniform and left through the window. With luck, no one would be able to confirm she had left for a very long time.

Zelda focused on one thing and one only as she made her way along the castle parapets, hearing the cries of guards as they searched the castle for her. Her heart took up permanent residence in her throat as she crept slowly, maddeningly slowly, toward the Shadow Temple. Every now and then she froze, not for the presence of the useless guards but the other Shekiah…the others now searching for her, either to help or hinder her. She had no way of knowing who was who. And likely neither of them would approve of what she was about to do.

She had to warn the Desert King, and free him, so he could defend his people.

The Temple's doors stood guarded by nothing but shadow magic, the tool of the red-eyed tribe that defended the Crown. For the most part, it was enough. Even with her own skills, Zelda had to be cautious, to avoid alerting other Shekiah of her presence. Let alone make a misstep and fall into one of its many traps.

Finally, at the very end of the Temple, she opened the door to the Gerudo King's cell. He hung limply, unmoving, even when the arc of light from the door crossed his face. The shadows played over the lines of his face, making him appear older than he really was.

Fearful, Zelda quickly stepped to his side, unlocking the manacles that held him even as she spoke. "You must return to the Gerudo Valley. There isn't much time…"

With blinding speed, the limp figure straightened and rammed Zelda into the right-hand wall, his right arm pinning her as amber eyes burned into her blue ones. "No. There's no time at all," he hissed in a voice at once both melancholy and sinister. "Why are you here? How can you possibly torment me further?"

Zelda coughed, ribs bruised from his punishing blow. "Ocine…he's going to kill all the Gerudo…he's brought the Knights and the Shekiah to his side…" Her vision blurred both from the pain and the tears in her eyes. "He killed Link…"

"What?! You fool!" Ganondorf bellowed. "If Ocine has killed the one who defeated me, there will be no stopping him!"

Zelda wavered slightly, stunned to hear that Ganondorf drew no satisfaction from the death of the Hero. "You have to go…we'll both go. There's no reason for me to stay here. I'll help you…"

Mocking laughter rang in her ears as all the pent-up rage inside Ganondorf finally surfaced. "And what would I want with your help? You only offer it because your own life is threatened."

Zelda shook her head vigorously. "That's not true, I can't let Ocine take my kingdom and destroy your people! I…"

"Where were you when I stood before the Sages, and they condemned me to this fate?" he snarled, shaking her. "Now you see what your foolishness has wrought. Idiot! Ocine did not need to steal the Triforce to claim Hyrule. He was able to do so through much easier means. He simply fooled you…all of you. Even those who should know better. I had no choice but to go to extremes when you did not listen to me!"

"How could I know he would go this far?" Zelda demanded, digging her nails into his hand. "Why did you not just stand by my side as a friend should? Once Ocine made his move, you could have helped Link!"

"Nothing I did legitimizes this fate, starving to death, surrounded by the constant stench of blood and pus, betrayed by the one person I thought I could trust!" Ganondorf howled, the biting pain searing his words. He threw her against the wall where he had stood for so long, clasping the manacles around her own wrists. "You're not leaving here until you get a small taste of what I have had to endure."

Zelda pulled against the chains, reaching out in an attempt to kick him. "You fool, what good will this do? I could be helping you…"

"I don't want your help," he said slowly, biting off each word with a sour relish. "You will stay here, out of danger and, more importantly, out of my way – while I fix this mess you've created!"

"You can't keep me here!" she strained against her chains, feeling through the shadow magic to find the lock, to no avail.

"You won't have to stay there long," Ganondorf said, matter-of-fact, as he opened the door. "Just until after I've saved my people from extinction and taken that fool's head. I'm sure you'll be just fine."

Zelda hurled curses after him once he slammed the door shut, knowing it would do her no good.

-&-

Time had no meaning in that dark place. Zelda hung there, half-standing, half-leaning, once her angry tirade wound down. She shut her eyes against the black void, trying to think of some way out of the situation. And yet escape was not what came to mind.

She should have listened to him. What she had done to her old friend was unforgivable. Zelda had let paranoia and Ocine's words taint her judgement…

-&-

"I came immediately once I heard what had happened." Ocine stepped into the throne room still clad in his riding gear. "I'm sorry to hear about your friend."

Zelda flinched slightly at his painstakingly concealed insincerity. "There is no need to apologize. It is my job to uphold the rule of law, regardless of who breaks it."

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

Zelda shook her head, handing her page the last decree for the day and stepping down from the dais. "I'm afraid you've come all the way out here for nothing. My Shekiah have the situation under control."

"Ah yes, I understand," Ocine said as he followed her to the great double doors at the end of the room. "What I meant was, is there anything I can do for you in particular? The loss of a friend must be difficult to bear."

Zelda stopped, turning toward him. "How did you find out so quickly what had happened, and who was involved?"

Ocine waved his hand as if it were nothing. "Oh, I asked one or two of your Shekiah to let me know if anything happened. Good to keep the lines of communication open between our two kingdoms, don't you think?"

Zelda's eyes narrowed. "If I needed you, I would have sent a messenger."

"Forgive me, I acted in haste." He made a slight bow, and stepped ever so slightly closer. "Zelda…you don't need to face everything alone, you know. You have allies. I am one of them. There's no shame in asking for a bit of assistance now and then."

She gave him a forced smile. "I told you, my Shekiah have taken care of it."

To her chagrin, he followed her into the courtyard. Technically, he wasn't doing anything wrong, and she felt that his company was at least better than being alone with her burning questions.

He began a long, one-sided conversation, which she kept rolling with a lot of "uh huhs" until he said, "But really, it makes sense, I suppose. The Hylians and the Gerudo have never really been on good terms."

Pulling herself out of her daze, she said, "I don't see how that's a concern of yours."

"Well, I'm just saying you shouldn't put all the blame on yourself. I mean, he might have been your friend at one time, but he's got his own people to think of. And the pull of the Triforce is just too much for them to handle."

"It would be tempting to anyone," she replied irritably. "The Gerudo are not alone among those who have tried to claim it."

He shrugged. "Well, I guess you just have to be careful about who you trust…"

-&-

Zelda's head jerked up as she heard someone approach her cell. Several someones, as a matter of fact. None of them had Ganondorf's characteristic gait. The door opened and Zelda's face twisted in hatred as she recognized the leader, standing in front of a group of Shekiah.

Ocine grinned wide. "Greetings, Your Highness."

She did not conceal her ire. "What you have done is nothing short of unspeakable. Surely the Goddesses have a particularly frightening fate in store for one who kills the Chosen Hero."

"I? I did not kill the Chosen Hero. It was Ganondorf, of course, right before he escaped."

Zelda lunged forward. "Do you think I am such a fool as to believe…"

"Not you, my dear." He stepped just out of reach, smiling down with the air of one who withholds his hand from a drowning man. "Everyone else in the kingdom."

"Idiot. Do you intend to kill me, then? For there is no other way to keep me silent. Or are you going to blame my death on Ganondorf as well?"

He shook his head. "No, my dear. In fact, your father the King knows that you are alive, though not well. After I told him his poor mad daughter had released the Evil One, out of misguided affection for a criminal, he agreed that you would have to be locked up, as a danger to yourself and others.

Zelda blanched. "What?"

The little group of traitor Shekiah released Zelda from the manacles, keeping a good hold on her both magically and physically. "I think we can do better than this, don't you?" Ocine said conversationally. "After all, you're not a criminal yourself…you're just insane." He brought his face very close to hers, so much that she would have bitten him if not been held back by the hair. "And it makes some things so much easier, for the both of us. I don't have to drag you to the altar, or the bedroom…I don't need to have you around at all."

Zelda stiffened. "You lie. My father would never…"

"Your father is a very insecure man…always has been. With the Gerudo King on the loose and his lone child out of her mind, he's become very interested in strong successors."

"You can't keep me here!" Zelda cried out as the Shekiah threw her into another cell. "You attempt to play with the very prophecies of the Goddesses!"

Ocine snorted as the door slammed shut, silencing her. "If your Gerudo friend couldn't escape on his own…what makes you think you can?"


	4. Chapter 4

Ganondorf growled and scuffled slightly as the Temple Priestess rubbed a sharp-smelling paste into yet another one of his infected wounds, hearing the hiss of the chemical compound meeting the clotted mess.

"Hold still, my Lord," the priestess said softly, washing it out sparingly with water and then applying the cream again. She wrapped a cloth bandage around it and then started on the next one. "You are lucky the poison has not spread into your blood. Once it stars spreading the infection throughout your body, only the Goddesses themselves can save you."

He gritted his teeth, both out of pain and impatience. He had warned his guards of the impending invasion even as he galloped on his stolen horse through the Fortress gates, and wanted to fight right away. Once the Hylians knew he was gone, the attack would surely follow. But his warriors feared for his health in his current condition.

He stood as the priestess wrapped the last bandage, reeking of a medicinal stench. Still, it was a better smell than what he had endured in the Temple of Shadows. "I want you to come with me to the Fortress, in the catacombs. There will be many more who need medical attention."

Once back at the Fortress, he approached his council of top warriors, who bowed upon his entrance. He brushed aside their inquiries of his heath and said, "There are Shekiah among the ranks of the Hylian Knights. I think it would be best if we hid the children, the elderly and the ill in the catacombs while the rest of us allow the invaders in, then ambush them."

The warriors nodded, but one asked, "If there are Shekiah present, how will we be able to detect them if they try to slip past our defenses?"

"I will go to the front lines," Ganondorf replied, "and use my sorcery to ferret them out. I've gotten a good feel for it while I was imprisoned in their Temple."

The little council exchanged glances. "But…my Lord," one spoke up. "We cannot risk you…"

He silenced her with a glance. "The sole purpose of a Gerudo King is to protect his people. If I die, the rest of you can still survive in hiding until another male is born. The tribe comes before all."

-&-

Zelda cried out in agony, her voice hoarse from all the tears. It was so easy to lose track of time in that place, and yet she could sense that as she sat there, alone in the dark, her faithful guard and lifelong friend was now being interred in the Royal Family's graveyard only yards away.

Surrounded by nobles and high-ranking guards, his casket was lowered into the ground in a place of honor. But how well could he rest as his murderer stood beside the King, ready to take the kingdom from its rightful heir, who sat trapped in the Shadow Temple despite his sacrifice? Would his ghost haunt her in that forsaken place, cursing her further for her folly?

She had tried many, many methods of escape, utilizing everything she knew about locks and prisons and Shekiah magic. But the shadow sorcery that bound her in her small cell was not something Impa had taught her. It felt…corrupted somehow, as if the treasonous splinter had developed its own unique power.

Footsteps. Zelda raised her head, her face stained with tears, dirt and blood after tearing her face with her fingernails. The door opened, and Ocine stepped in, flanked by two Shekiah.

Before she could greet him with any of her chosen insults, he demanded, "Where is the Ocarina of Time?"

She sneered, an odd expression that made a grotesque change in her face. "What makes you think I know, and if I did, why would I tell you?"

He scowled, staring through her with cold eyes. "Your faithful guard didn't have it on him. He must have hidden it somewhere."

Zelda made a barking laugh. "Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you. Why would I help you gain the Triforce?"

His expression changed to one of condescending pity, like that of a schoolteacher dealing with a painfully dim child. "Fool. You don't realize that I'm trying to help you, you and all of Hyrule. I understand the dangerous power the Triforce holds. I don't intend to claim it…I intend to destroy it!"

Zelda froze, the blood draining from her face, leaving the scratch marks bright red against ivory skin. "What blasphemy is this?"

Ocine snorted. "Idiot. Are you so blinded by your worship of the Goddesses that you do not see what a burden the Triforce is? It begs for people like the Desert King to steal it! It has nearly brought Hyrule to ruin many times, and only great sacrifices on the part of your people have been able to put things right again." He stepped closer to her, both pity and contempt on his face. "It makes Hyrule a very unstable neighbor. I decided a long time ago that I would find a way to obliterate the thing, for the benefit of all."

Zelda leaped up to attack him, but slammed into an invisible shield. Wiping her bloody nose, she snarled, "You are the fool, not I. The Triforce is the source of Hyrule's existence, not its ills. Destroy the Triforce and you destroy Hyrule as well!"

"I doubt that. Hyrule existed for a brief period before the Goddesses left the Triforce in the Sacred Realm. Don't you see? It was set there to tempt you, to test the will of men. Such a thing cannot be protected or ignored; it must be eliminated."

Zelda's eyes narrowed. "I see. It tempts you, and you cannot possess or control it, so you intend to destroy it." She eyed him purposefully. "I suppose I could not expect any more of you."

His eyes flashed, and a cruel smile split his lips. "Referring to yourself, my dear? I admit, at one time I had a certain level of desire for you. But I have no taste for fools, something I could sense the moment I saw you with the Desert King." He turned away, but stopped in the doorway. "Your faithful servant must have hidden the ocarina somewhere. As the new Prince, it won't take much for me to retrieve the rest of the materials from their keepers. All I have to do is ask. Once I find that ocarina, your kingdom will be safe…despite your best efforts to throw it into chaos."

-&-

Ganondorf sighed loudly, hissing through his teeth in impatience. He and his guards had stood ready at the Fortress gates for several days now, waiting tensely for a siege that never came. His people could only survive so long on stored food in the catacombs, and he felt sure the Hylians would attack after discovering he had escaped. So what was taking so long? He could not sense any Shekiah magic, and his warriors had not reported anything out of the ordinary.

Finally, he sent out a spy, a young woman with enough Hylian blood in her to pass for the daughter of one of the ranchers in Hyrule Field. He waited, nervously, for three days for her to gather intelligence and return, breathing a sigh of relief as he saw her ride back to the Fortress gates.

She looked troubled, but unhurried. "What news?" he demanded before she even dismounted from her horse.

"They are not mustering for war," the girl, Malia, replied. "but, my Lord, there are some strange rumors coming from the castle, which I cannot confirm."

"Well?" Ganondorf demanded.

"The King has been making some strange orders," Malia replied. "We're not sure if they come from him, or Ocine, which he has chosen as successor."

"Ocine as successor?" Ganondorf's eyes narrowed. "What about Zelda?"

"That's the strange thing, my Lord. There are rumors flying around that the Princess has gone mad, and has been confined to her chambers. But no one has seen her in weeks, and some claim that she is not even in the castle."

Ganondorf swayed slightly, but recovered quickly. "What do you mean, 'has gone mad'?"

"I honestly don't know, my Lord. The common folk don't seem to be paying much attention – they never do, unless something catastrophic happens – and I couldn't get very close to the nobles. They say Ocine is going to do something, something big, that will clear up any need to worry about you or anyone else who is a threat to the kingdom."

"Probably claim the Triforce," Ganondorf grunted. "Any other information you were able to get on the Princess?"

"No, my Lord. People seemed afraid to speak of it…I do not believe anyone knows for sure what has happened to her."

"I see," he said slowly. He stood in silence for several moments, then thanked Malia and headed back to his quarters.

"What should we do, my Lord?" Malia called after him.

"Keep watch as always," he replied. "I'll be out in a minute."

-&-

A couple of hours later, Ganondorf emerged – wrapped in a blanket of sorcery that made him appear to be a Hylian man, tall and with a deep tan but definitely different enough to waylay suspicion. "I need to gather further information," he told his council, "and I don't want to put anyone in danger. I'm strong enough now that I can keep up this disguise, and fight any Shekiah that I come across. After all," he said with a frown that puzzled them, "Link is dead. Unless Ocine gets the Triforce, I can't think of anyone would be able to best me in combat."

-&-

Ganondorf rode quickly through Hyrule Field, anxiety eating at his mind, kicking himself for what he had done. Was Zelda in danger now because he had not taken her with him? Had she been foolish enough to tell her captors that she had freed him? He had not seen any real change in the kingdom yet, which told him that Ocine had not opened the doors to the Sacred Realm. Link had been entrusted with the key that opened those doors. But Link had been dead for several days now. He must have hidden his key somewhere…

Ganondorf prayed to the Goddesses that the young warrior had a good hiding place.


	5. Chapter 5

-1The near-absence of guards and traps only made Ganondorf more nervous. The Shadow Temple's role mandated that it had to be all but impenetrable, and the Shekiah stood only behind himself in terms of their mastery of dark magic. His intrusion into that foul place did not set off any alarms, did not bring any more guards, and the one or two Shekiah there did not notice him.

Halfway through he realized that the Temple's power focused on keeping people in, rather than out. Or, at least, one particular person. Ganondorf gritted his teeth as he felt around the corridors for the magic signals that told him what he was up against. Getting in would be the easy part. Of course, going out, he would not be alone.

He scowled upon realizing that she was not in the cell where he had left her. _Of course they would move her,_ he thought grimly to himself. _Mad or not, she's still Hyrule's princess, and would be given more respect than a Gerudo King._

Carefully tracing the Shekiah magic to its strongest base, he sidestepped the falling blades, the yawning chasms, the trick doors, the grasping disembodied hands, and various other forms of insanity as he inched closer to his goal. Finally, when he reached the door, he removed the charm upon it that would impale the intruder upon the ceiling spikes, and unlocked the door.

Ganondorf lit a small flame in his hand to light the pitch-dark cell. At least it didn't smell like his did. But its inhabitant had still been chained up, even though she had no way of leaving that place alone.

She sat slumped in the corner, her head on her knees, her blond hair in disarray and flowing in tangled waves over her shoulders. Her nails were blackened with grime and had brownish bloodstains, as if she had clawed at the very walls in desperation. Her dress had been torn and long ago taken on an ashy gray cast from the ancient dust.

"Zelda?" He held the flame up higher, to get a better look at her face as she lifted her head. He nearly stepped back as she stared back at him with a wretched and hopeless expression.

"You?" It was more an accusation than a question. "What are you doing here, now, at the end of all things?"

"I've come to get you out," he stated, stepping forward. But when he reached for the chains, she whipped her arm to the side with startling speed and struck him on the side of the head with the metal links.

"How dare you," she snarled as he halted, completely nonplussed. "You weren't happy to see me when I freed you. You shut me in this place. It's because of you that I'm here!" She tried to strike him again but he dodged her.

"Can you blame me?" he snapped. "You knew all along that I was falsely accused, even if you didn't want to admit it! Consider your debt to me repaid!"

"Debt?!" She laughed, and Ganondorf began to wonder if she really had gone insane. "You…Ocine knew all along. It was a mistake for me to ever try to know you outside of a fellow ruler. Now, thanks to you, Link is dead and Ocine will destroy the Triforce!"

"Link's death is not my…WHAT?! Is that even possible?"

"Theoretically, yes," Zelda calmed down slightly, finally able to speak of her terrible dilemma. "He could simply wish it out of existence, along with Hyrule itself."

"Then what do we do?! If he can do that, then we…"

"He does not have the ocarina. He cannot enter the Sacred Realm without it. You already know this."

"Well, that was Link's responsibility, wasn't it? Obviously he didn't keep it in his pocket, or Ocine would have it by now…where did he put it?"

Zelda looked away. "I don't know. He never told me."

Ganondorf exhaled slowly, trying to tamp down his impatience. "All right…so…Ocine doesn't have it either. Link must have hidden it somewhere. You knew him fairly well…maybe we can find it if we search. But first we need to get you out of here."

He quickly unlocked the manacles around her wrists, without any need for a key. Putting his bit of flame on the ground so he could use both hands, he stopped suddenly as he saw the deep, blood-encrusted lacerations around her wrists where the manacles had dug into the skin. Her nails were broken and bloody, testament to the fact that she had indeed clawed at the walls in vain.

"Zelda…" Barely able to speak, he moved to embrace her. "Forgive me…"

She pushed him away. "No time for it," she said in a voice that suggested there never would be. "We need to leave, and now."

He undid the chains around her legs, trying not to wince upon catching sight of the same marks around her ankles. She stood, and wavered slightly. "I don't need your help," she snapped as he put his arm out to steady her.

"You said we had to move quickly." Before she could object, he had lifted her from the ground, carrying her in his arms. "You'll end up losing an arm, or your head, if you attempt to navigate the Temple in this condition."

Zelda didn't argue, but she didn't look particularly relieved either. Ganondorf gradually wound his way back to the entrance of the Temple, taking great care to find and disable every trap in their path. When they finally reached the entrance, Zelda said softly, "I don't know where to go from here. Link probably hid the ocarina somewhere in the castle grounds, but we can't look for it now…"

Ganondorf mounted his horse, still carrying Zelda. "We will return to the Fortress, and see to your injuries. While you are healing we can determine where he might have put it for safekeeping."

"We don't have time…"

"If you have no idea where it is, then there's even less of a chance that Ocine does," Ganondorf said firmly. "We can't wander around forever, but I do think Link had the sense to hide it someplace difficult to find. I doubt very much that he would keep it in the castle. It must be somewhere else." He put his heels to his horse's flanks, and rode off toward the desert.

-&-

Zelda awoke the next morning feeling refreshed, though a dull ache still throbbed throughout her body. She sat up carefully in the bed provided by the Gerudo priestess, and her eye fell upon the glass of water next to the bed. She noticed a bit of incense burning on the simple table behind the glass, a calming scent hanging in the air and masking the smell of herbal medicine that permeated her bandages.

A young girl opened the door, bearing a tray of pounded root pancakes and fried strips of pork. "Are you feeling all right, Miss?"

Zelda smiled slightly at the term of address. They did not see her as their ruler, and did not speak to her as such. But that was the way it should be. "Yes, much better, thank you."

The girl smiled. "Have something to eat. I'll find the priestess so she can have a look at you." She set the tray down on the bed in front of Zelda, and left the room. As the smell of food reached her nose, she suddenly realized she was ravenously hungry.

A few minutes after she finished eating, the door opened again and a much older woman walked in. The red hair on the sides of her head faded into gray, and she wore a necklace with the emblem of the Spirit Temple. Zelda winced as she unwrapped the bandages around her wrists. "This will sting a little, not for long," she said as she washed the wounds and applied another coat of ointment. "It's a good thing our King found you when he did, these cuts are minor now. He was so badly infected, I was afraid we would not be able to pull the sickness from his body."

Zelda scowled at the priestess' suggestion that her torment was a minor matter, then blushed in shame as she realized that Ganondorf's had been so much worse. But her mind shifted to more urgent things. "Where is he? I must speak with him."

"He asked that he be informed when you awoke. I shall bring him now." She refilled Zelda's water glass and took the food tray away.

To her surprise, Ganondorf knocked at the door before he came in. He looked supremely uncomfortable as he stepped in. "How are you feeling?"

"Serviceable," she said briskly, back to feeling her businesslike self. He frowned slightly, but she continued. "There's no time to lie around. We need to find that ocarina."

He sat in a small chair next to the bed. "You knew him best. Did he have any personal attachments to anyplace in Hyrule? What about the village where he grew up?"

"That's a thought," Zelda said, her expression turning contemplative. "Few people in the castle know the village that was his childhood home. I only know because he told me about it…" She held back the tears, the vision of his last moments coming unbidden to her mind. Throwing off the blankets, she said, "We must go there."

He raised his hand to steady her. "You should rest…"

She pushed it away. "There's no time. The fate of the very world depends on this."

-&-

Ganondorf's horse thundered across the field, carrying both his master and the young woman who insisted on coming along. Though he did not want to admit it, there was no way Ganondorf would have found the village on his own. As intimately familiar with Hyrule as he was, he did not know the location of every settlement, and Link had grown up in a tiny, poor province that had only recently been annexed to the country.

As they neared their destination, Ganondorf stiffened. "What is it?" Zelda asked, sitting behind him in the saddle.

Uneasily, he muttered, "I smell…ash…is it possible that Ocine…" He shook his head. "It's too early to tell. Perhaps it's merely a forest fire…"

He quickened his horse's pace. They rode down a rough dirt path, barely discernable from the forest around them. Already they could see scorch-marks here and there, where flyaway bits of flame had touched the earth after being set free from some grand conflagration. Then they turned a sharp corner to the village gate.

The extent of the destruction took a moment to sink in. Stumps of denuded trees stood tall and black against the gray-brown ground, charred sticks jerking up here and there where there had once been little houses. As the horse slowly walked into the remains of the village, puffs of ash rose around its hooves. The only sound was the jarring cry of crows, the only living things they could see anywhere in the village.

Zelda's eye fell upon something in front of a burnt house, the blackened remains of human bone. She turned her face away and pressed it against Ganondorf's back, trying to choke down the bile that churned in her stomach. "Goddesses," she gasped. "Did they have to…go so far…?"

"He didn't find what he was looking for," Ganondorf said grimly, "and so he burned the place to the ground in a fit of rage. It is…disgusting…but it should give us some hope." He turned around to face her. "It means that the ocarina is still hidden."

"But where can we go?" Hopelessness crept into Zelda's voice. "We have no other clues, and Ocine can easily mobilize every soldier in the country to look for it. The only person who knows is…"

"…Is Link himself." Suddenly Ganondorf's eyes lit up in revelation. He turned his horse back around and spurred it forward.

"Where are we going?" Zelda demanded. "Link is dead! How does this help us?"

"It's a stretch," Ganondorf admitted, "but I doubt his spirit will rest peacefully knowing what has happened. If there's anywhere we can speak with him, it's in the Spirit Temple."

A single black crow perched upon a charred tree, the only living being standing in a testament to what would happen if they failed in their quest.


	6. Chapter 6

Nabooru, the Spirit Temple priestess, nodded slowly as Ganondorf explained their theory to her. "It is certainly possible that you may be able to communicate with the Princess's Guard in our temple. But he is not one of us," she said, glancing at Zelda, "and the Temple of Time would be a more appropriate place for his ghost to haunt…."

"I'm sure Ocine has that temple well guarded," Ganondorf muttered impatiently. "And it would do us no good anyway if Link is hiding behind the door of the Sacred Realm. If he had any sense, his wandering spirit would go somewhere we could find it…"

"He has," Zelda said suddenly. "I can feel it."

"I can perform a ceremony that will open a channel between this world and the next," Nabooru offered. "We'll need to move quickly, however. The more time passes, the weaker his bond is to this world."

She turned and left the war room, Ganondorf following, and Zelda behind him. "Is she coming as well?" Nabooru demanded.

"Of course," Zelda snapped before Ganondorf could say anything. "His death is my fault. I'm not going to just sit here and…"

"The path to the Spirit Temple is not a leisurely walk," Nabooru warned, her eyes narrowed. "Your Guard likely would have had trouble traversing the Great Wasteland himself. We Gerudo are used to it, but…"

She looked at Ganondorf for an answer. "She's coming with us," he said without hesitation, but did not look at Zelda.\

"Very well." Nabooru stopped at a canteen area where several warriors stood around, gaping openly at the Princess. She opened a box and took out a pair of baggy pants, a sleeveless blouse, and a short veil. "You'll overheat in just a few minutes wearing that outfit. This will keep you cool, and the sand out of your face."

They all stared at Zelda, who looked around for a place to change. She suddenly realized there was no such place - they were all women, after all, save one. "Excuse me," she said pointedly to Ganondorf.

"Hn?" He looked blank for a moment, then turned his back.

"Eh, Princess," one of the women sneered, "You think you are so special that you have something he hasn't seen before?" The other raiders laughed, but fell silent when their King turned his gaze to them. Zelda hurriedly changed, and was immediately relieved that she had, for she felt much cooler.

"All right, let's go," Nabooru said as they walked through the gate to the desert. "Stay close. The wind can kick up the sand so that you can't see your hand in front of your face…and there are numerous quicksand traps off the trail. If you are separated, wait until the worst of the storm passes, then follow the flags to the temple." She gestured to the bright orange strips adorning tall sticks set in the sand.

Zelda tightened her veil, knowing the words of warning were meant solely for her.

-&-

The sun burned down mercilessly upon the three travelers. Zelda struggled to keep up with the other two, feeling as if she were walking into a red-hot kiln. The air was stale, and the dry, scentless air seemed to tear into her nostrils.

Zelda thought she saw a puddle ahead of her on the trail. It looked muddy and vile, but she could not contain her thirst. As she bent down, she felt Nabooru's hand on her wrist. "Stay away from that," the woman snapped.

"Why? Is it poisonous?"

"No. It's quicksand."

"It doesn't look like…"

Impatiently Nabooru thrust her arm into the "puddle". It came clear up to her shoulder. "It doesn't suck you down, like in your fairy tales. You simply get stuck…and you can struggle all you like, until the sun robs you of your consciousness. You die of exposure, not drowning." She pulled out her arm with considerable effort.

"I understand."

Zelda walked along in silence after that, not taking her eyes off the trail. But she noticed that Ganondorf, who had been ignoring her this whole time, now walked a little closer.

Suddenly Nabooru stopped short. "There's a storm coming," she said as she squinted over the horizon. "If we move quickly, we might be able to beat it to the Temple."

"Let's move, then," Ganondorf grunted.

They set off on a steady lope, with Zelda lagging behind. She wanted to yell to them to slow down, but realized all of their survival depended on speed. She struggled to move faster in the shifting sand.

"No good!" Nabooru yelled as she cleared the top of another dune. "It's moving too fast! Stay together!"

Panting, Zelda squeezed in between the two Gerudo as they picked their way down the dune, the wind picking up, its shrieking cries audible from far off. Zelda watched in horror as a veritable wall of sand, a giant cloud hugging the earth, swept toward them.

The cloud hit, and suddenly day turned to night, the shrieking wind drowning out all other sound. Sand and grit flew into Zelda's face, and even with the veil she could barely breathe. She shut her eyes just for a moment, tears flowing from the stinging sand.

She opened them again, and could see nothing.

Her heart leaped in panic, and she called out for the other two, but her voice barely left her mouth in that wind. iCalm down/i, she thought to herself. iAre you a disciple of the Shekiah or aren't you? Nabooru said to stay put and watch for the flags./i

Zelda crouched in the sand, battered on all sides, hiding her face in her clothing. She had no way of knowing how much time had passed before she looked up and saw one of the flags, off to her left. She scrambled toward it, praying that she would not lose sight of the pole before she could get to it.

She found three poles in this way, then felt the storm weakening slightly. She realized she was standing in the lee of a small stone building, and she hurried to get in out of the storm. She could see a small door on one side, but as she came near it, something struck her across the side of her head.

Zelda heard unearthly laughter above her. "Damn Poes," she muttered, raising one hand in a specific gesture. "Creature of darkness, come to light!"

As she spoke the simple spell, the image of the Poe leapt into her vision; and then just as quickly disappeared into the storm. Zelda cursed again as the ghost slammed into her side, throwing her further away from the safety of the building.

Zelda pulled out several throwing needles, and hurled them in the direction of the Poe's raspy laughter. She heard it gasp as one hit, but before she could even smile in victory it hit her again. She gasped in pain and held her side as she scrambled back toward the building, the outline of which was already beginning to fade in her vision.

She threw another set of needles, but none of them connected. This time the ghost picked her up off the ground and hurled her several feet. Coughing, her mouth full of grit, she instinctively raised her arm to protect herself as she heard it snickering above her.

Suddenly the Poe yelped in pain and surprise, and she heard it no more. Someone lifted her bodily off the ground and carried her back to the stone building. The sand finally out of her sand and nose, she recognized the familiar smell of her companion.

"Sorry…I got lost," she muttered, her mouth dry, as he carried her down a ladder into a cool, dimly lit room.

She looked up to see an angry expression on Ganondorf's face, but he did not seem angry at her. "I should have brought more medical supplies," he said as he set her down on the dry stone.

"I'm all right. Just a few bruises…I just need to rest a little. And we can't go out in the storm anyway."

"No, this is true." He offered her a little water. "Rest, then. We will need to move quickly once the storm ends."

Zelda didn't realize how exhausted she was. She was asleep before she even realized it.

-&-

"Stupid fool." Ganondorf glanced down quickly at the sleeping woman, hoping she had not heard him. The words were not meant for her, after all.

Their bickering in the face of adversity had made him forget his promise, the promise he had made years ago in the Spirit Temple. He had vowed to protect her and so he would…regardless of what she had done to him.

She hadn't known, after all, that Ocine would go this far. He himself found it hard to believe. Yet Ocine was not a citizen of Hyrule, he had not been immersed in its tales and legends that spoke of the supremacy of the Goddesses.

He should not have punished her for her ignorance. How long had she sat in that dark cell, clawing at the walls, waiting for the world to end once Ocine fulfilled his goal? Ganondorf had always intended to come back for her, once she had gotten a little taste of the suffering he had endured. But it was still cruel.

He listened to the wind howling outside, waiting patiently for the storm to pass. There was no point in getting impatient with the desert. If one tried to fight it, it would always win. They would need to rest anyway. Something told him Ocine had plenty of precautions in place in order to prevent them from securing the Sacred Realm.

Zelda stirred in her sleep, and Ganondorf placed his hand gently on her head, hoping she would not awaken…not yet. He gently stroked her hair, wondering if destiny would always conspire to force them into similar roles throughout time…even though he knew they both wanted something different.


	7. Chapter 7

Ganondorf's hand lingered over her head, unwilling to let go. He didn't want her to awaken, feeling sure that she would object to being touched. Her angry words at his imprisonment still raked his soul. A deep feeling of injustice welled up inside him. Why did it have to be this way? He had loved her from the beginning, but she had always escaped from his grasp. He knew that attempting to enter the Temple of Time, even to keep its secrets away from Ocine, had been a terrible risk. He could not blame her if she never trusted him again.

And yet he still could not just let her go.

For now, in these precious few minutes, she made no objection, nestled firmly against his shoulder. The sweet smell of her hair filled his nose, the warmth of her soft skin against his made his blood rise.

If only things had been different…

She murmured softly in her sleep, then her eyes flew open. She tensed, then relaxed slightly upon seeing him next to her. "It's you…"

He smiled slightly in spite of himself. "Who else would it be?"

Zelda sighed. "A nightmare, that's all, Ocine, coming after me, and Link fell trying to stop him…" Some of the heat in Ganondorf's body cooled upon hearing the boy's name. She stood. "The storm, I can still hear it outside…we're running out of time, is there anything we can do?" Zelda turned to him. "Nabooru, is she all right?"

He nodded. "We know how to survive out here. Likely she has found a hollow in the sand and drawn her cloak over her body. It will be enough to wait out the storm…but if we attempted to move any further, the storm would likely send us even further off course."

Zelda sank back down on the floor, her eyes filling with tears. "It's my fault…if I had believed you, he wouldn't have died. And now I may not even be able to say good-bye to his departing spirit…"

Ganondorf said nothing for a long time. Finally, he spoke in a strained voice. "You loved him, didn't you?"

Her head jerked up. "Oh, no! He was my friend, a very close friend…I cared a great deal for him. But…I loved him as a brother, the protective, elder brother I never had." She stared mournfully at her knees. "Ah, if only I had been born a boy…then I would not have been subjected to so much second-guessing about everything. A Prince's word is absolute, but a Princess must bend to the whims of society and the 'advice' of old fools. How I ran my kingdom, how I walked and spoke, what I did with my free time, who I chose as my mate…"

Her eyes flickered ever so briefly toward Ganondorf's, then returned to her knees. "I…I knew from the beginning that Ocine…that he wasn't the best person to take over as King. But there were so many unwritten laws to follow…I fought them at first, but with each strike I parried another one would come down upon me." She looked up at him with watery eyes. "You must think me a fool…bound by the will of soulless figures, unable to speak for myself…"

"I don't believe that," he assured her, looking into her face with an expression of utmost sincerity.

"But the words you spoke in the Shadow Temple…"

She was cut off as he kissed her softly, briefly. "Don't dwell on my own foolishness. I don't want to hear those words ever again." He paused, unsure what to say next. "Tell me, if you could choose…and not worry at all about the choice you made…"

She leaned forward and kissed him in answer.

He leaned in further, running his hands behind her back, consumed by both vindication and overwhelming desire, concealed all this time from their recent animosity. But this was neither the time nor place, and he turned gently to the side to kiss her cheek instead of her lips. She shifted in his arms, searching for him, placing her own lips against his neck, her warm breath tickling his ear. He opened his mouth to protest but his teeth brushed against her neck and she made a joyful little cry.

Suddenly his restraint snapped and he kissed her deeply, pressing her against the wall, kneeling over her as she sat with her back to the wall. She hooked her fingers into his clothing and pulled him downward, lifting her hips upward and pressing against him as she did so. He pulled her blouse over her head and buried his face in her chest, feeling her hands reaching under his light clothing as he heard her heart race.

He pulled her away from the wall and laid her gently on the floor, fumbling with the strings that held up her pants. Her fingers tugged at his belt and he offered her impatient assistance, feeling about to burst.

"Ahem." Their heads jerked up in surprise to see Nabooru staring down at them from the doorway, a half-amused look on her face. "Normally I wouldn't dream of interrupting something like this, but the storm's over…and you impressed on me that we don't have a whole lot of time."

"Ah. Of course," Ganondorf answered, his voice echoing awkwardly off the walls. He looked down to see Zelda pulling her blouse back on, her entire body flushed a bright shade of pink.

Nabooru stepped back outside, shutting the door behind her as the other two put their clothing back in order. The couple exchanged glances, then started laughing.

---

Zelda exhaled in relief as the Spirit Temple loomed into view. Exhausted and roasting from the heat, she also felt relieved to be able to focus on something other than the man in front of her. She felt a little ridiculous to be having such thoughts in such a dire situation, but at least now she did not feel so hopeless.

But one thing bothered her, and she mentally kicked herself for not thinking about it before. "Ganondorf," she said softly so that Nabooru could not hear her, "isn't it your responsibility to…er…keep the Gerudo tribe going?"

He shot her a puzzled look. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well…considering what you said in the chamber…about your choice…I mean, if you were to live at the castle, that wouldn't be allowed…" She felt a slight flush creeping over her face, embarrassed that she had not realized he probably had his own restrictions until now.

His brows curved in a maze of perplexity. "This is hardly the time to be talking about this…your mind must be clear if you wish to find answers in the Spirit Temple. Let us focus on the task at hand, or else there will be no future to plan for."

Zelda said no more after that, and sighed in relief as they left the burning sun for the cool refuge of the Temple. It had a strange old smell, not musty, but very dry and somewhat sweet. She suspected that years of incense burning had left their scent.

She marveled at how neatly the Temple had been kept, realizing her people's prejudices had conditioned her to think that it would be a sandy, cobwebby mess. But this was a temple of the gods, every bit as much as the Temple of Time back home. It held the same holy aura.

Nabooru led them to the side, and down a series of corridors, where Zelda recognized the Burning Eyes stationed at certain turns and entrances. Their lids were shut now, but she knew that if any intruder who passed under their gaze would end up as a pile of ash. Strange creatures and unfriendly voyagers often wandered the desert, so this most remote of outposts was well guarded.

Finally they entered a huge, high-ceilinged room. Zelda stared up in wonder at the enormous statue that dominated the space, a bare-chested woman with the lower body of a snake. Her two arms were held out much like the outside carving, something like a set of scales. But she sat as immobile as the rest of the Temple.

The two priestesses attending the statue bowed to Nabooru, and once again more deeply to their King. Zelda they ignored. Nabooru spoke a few words to them in Gerudo, and they each opened a chest on either side of the statue. One brought forth dried flower petals, the other twisted brown matter that looked like tree bark. Each threw their incense into the large, bowl-shaped torches just in front of the statue. Zelda smelled a calming, intoxicating aroma as the two women began chanting softly, guided by Nabooru's strong voice.

Ganondorf turned to Zelda. "You knew Link best. Think of him, form his image in your mind. Put together all the memories you can, and they will call to his spirit."

Zelda shut her eyes, the smell of the incense and chanting of the women creating a large blank spot in her mind. She seized upon an image of Link, smiling, clear blue eyes watching her, wrapping her in a protective veil. Link, sitting next to her in the courtyard, telling her news of the outside world. Link, dutifully fending off any threats to the Sacred Realm, including the one she loved.

Link, torn and bloody, dead in her arms after he had spent his last breath warning her of Ocine's treachery.

Hot tears spilled from her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. The chanting seemed to swell around her, filling her ears, mind, and soul. Then, suddenly, it stopped, and she felt Ganondorf's hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes.

There, between the torches, stood a translucent figure, his sapphire eyes filled with the benevolent kindness she knew so well. He smiled at her, and with that one gesture, put to rest the thoughts of fear and guilt that had tormented her in the Shadow Temple. iI don't blame you. I never did. I played my role, I accept my fate./i

But then his expression turned serious, and he spoke with a voice that sounded more like an echo from far away. "Princess Zelda, you must hurry. Ocine has already determined the location of the Ocarina, and is headed there as I speak."


	8. Chapter 8

"What?" Zelda demanded of the ghost, too shocked to ask anything else.

"Where is it?" Ganondorf demanded.

"I hid it in the Forest Temple," Link answered. "It is guarded by the spirits who live there. But they can only waylay the occasional explorer…they cannot hold back an entire army. I hid it well in the Temple, but it will only buy you so much time."

Ganondorf said nothing for a moment, surprised that the boy had put so much thought into it. Zelda wiped her still-wet eyes. "Link…I'm so sorry…"

He regarded her with kind eyes, his voice soft and growing softer, his spirit already being pulled from the waking world. "Please don't blame yourself, Zelda. He fooled us all…all but one…"

He raised his head and his expression turned serious. "King of the Desert…take care of her for me."

Ganondorf nodded solemnly. "I will."

The image, which by now was barely perceptible, disappeared. Zelda bowed her head as her friend departed for a second time.

She felt Ganondorf's huge hand squeeze her shoulder. "We must move quickly," he said softly but with a hint of urgency. "If we wish to keep Hyrule out of Ocine's grip, we must act on the information Link gave us now."

Zelda took a deep breath, wiping away the remainder of the tears. "I know. Let's go."

---

They encountered no more storms on the way back through the desert, and Zelda prayed to the Goddesses asking for their help to continue on their quest. Back at the fortress, Nabooru handed Zelda a large, black bow, carved out of a kind of wood that Zelda had never seen before. With it came a quiver and a set of equally black arrows, fletched with ravens' feathers. "You will need a weapon," Nabooru said. "You know a little archery, surely?"

"Yes," she said quickly, though doubted that the Gerudo would think she would have much skill. She stared in amazement at the fine workmanship of the weapon, the polished wood, the perfectly weighted arrows. "But why are you giving me this?"

Nabooru scowled. "Our King will not let us fight. It is best…we know nothing about fighting in thick forest, and you do not want to draw attention to yourselves." She held her head proudly. "It does not matter who sits on the throne in Hyrule, we will bow to no one but our own King. Do not fail him, Princess."

"I will not," Zelda replied, holding Nabooru's gaze.

The warrior woman nodded. "We will accompany you to a point. Ganondorf has requested some of my scouts, ones that are familiar with the cliffs bordering the Lost Woods. We have many routes into the other provinces that you do not know about." She grinned upon seeing Zelda's startled look. "How could we have successful raids without them? You cannot block all of them."

"I would not. This is vital to the whole of Hyrule. Thank you, Nabooru." Zelda held out her hand.

Nabooru grasped it. "You have much spirit in you. I wish you good luck and victory."

---

For once, Zelda was better equipped than Ganondorf on this part of the trip. The Gerudo scouts sought out razor-thin passages and footholds with ease, while Zelda stumbled behind. But she at least had small feet, whereas the Gerudo King stomped through the passages with the rock itself threatening to crumble under him. He moved even slower than Zelda, taking care not to fall into the canyons below. She tried to hide her amusement as he inched along with his back to the stone, arms splayed out, trying not to look down.

"We are nearly at the summit," one of the guides announced, and Zelda allowed herself a breath of relief even though going down would be at least as hard as going up. But a swift intake of air hissed through her teeth as she reached the top and looked down into the forest below.

"What is it?" Ganondorf asked as he gingerly hefted his weight over a particularly large stone.

"They are burning the forest." Her limbs trembled more with anger than exhaustion, as she watched an enormous dark plume of smoke rise from below. The crimson flames could be seen quite clearly even at this height, and a large chunk of the Lost Woods looked as if a big bite had been taken out of it. Birds of all sizes hovered just in front of the smoke, either disoriented or hoping to capitalize on the deaths of the creatures below.

Ganondorf scowled. "All this, and he still does not have the Triforce yet." He heaved himself over the top of the cliff and carefully lowered himself down, with the help of one of the scouts. "Come, Zelda. Save your rage for when he is close enough for us to use it against him." He pointed to a little storm cloud hovering close to the scorched area. "If the Goddesses listen to you, pray for rain."

Zelda shook herself slightly, then followed him down the cliffside.

---

The scouts departed once they reached the forest floor. Once again Zelda found herself better off than her protector, who kept tripping over roots and stumbling into bushes. "Stop crashing around like that," she admonished him. "Pick your way carefully. You'll be heard a mile off, even in such a dense forest as this."

He pulled off a cluster of burrs that had attached themselves to the fabric on his leg. "At least we can use the cliff wall as a guide. Good thing the Forest Temple has its back to the cliff. It will make it that much easier for us to get to it, and that much harder for Ocine to reach it."

"I just hope he doesn't burn down the whole forest in the meantime," Zelda muttered. "Crude but effective. I wonder if we should find some way to demonstrate that the Ocarina is no longer there once we find it, so that he'll stop this destruction."

"And come after us?" Ganondorf snapped. "Let's see if we can even find the thing first. I doubt Link left it sitting on an altar in plain sight. I wish he had given us more information."

Zelda said nothing. She had a feeling Link wanted to tell them more too, but had been limited by lack of time. Thinking of him saddened her so she pushed him from her mind.

"Here!" Ganondorf abruptly broke into her thoughts after an hour or so of silence. "That building there, with the high wall…could that be it?"

She squinted. "I believe so…that would be the side of the Temple. There is a high wall surrounding it."

As they approached the wall, Zelda jumped up to catch a low branch, then pulled herself up to the next one. Ganondorf watched with interest. "I didn't know a proper Princess like yourself could climb trees."

She smiled slightly. "I never was the most proper of Princesses…you know that."

Ganondorf's mind wandered unbidden to that night she had sneaked into his room as a Shekiah. He shook his head, trying to get back to the task at hand. "Well, I can't climb trees. How far around is the temple wall?"

Zelda looked unsure. "Quite a bit, I'm afraid. I suppose we should just go around to the front…"

"No time." He pulled two daggers from his belt and, to Zelda's surprise, thrust them into the crumbling wall. Using the irregular stone-and-mortar structure to find footholds, he hauled himself up the wall.

Zelda whistled, sitting atop the wall. "Nice trick."

He gave her a mischievous look. "If you want to be a raider, you need to scale walls." He frowned down at the ground. "What bothers me more is the possibility of breaking my neck getting back down."

"Why not just climb down?"

"I plan to. But for some reason, it's harder…

Once both of them were on the ground (Ganondorf nearly twisting his ankle, as he misjudged the distance before he jumped down), they heard a strange howling and two dog statues at the doorway shifted and turned into living, breathing wolves. Zelda strung her bow and shot through both of them - cleanly, as if they were not real at all. The wolves vanished like a vapor of smoke.

She frowned. "The magic of this place has weakened. I'm sure those guardians should have been harder to defeat than that."

Ganondorf picked up her arrows and handed them to her. "Then it is a good thing that we got here first. Wouldn't want to hand Ocine that advantage."

He lit a little ball of fire in his palm as the two of them walked through the entryway, the rotting remains of a wooden door at their feet. Zelda scowled at the cobwebs everywhere. "Ugh…where there are webs, there are bound to be spiders."

"Yes, big ones," Ganondorf commented calmly when she shrieked and jumped back, an enormous spider watching her from glowing red eyes. The Desert King dispatched it easily with his sword. "Be careful. Aside from them being ugly, you don't want to be bitten by one of those."

They reached the center of the main room, in the crumbling ruins of what had once been an altar. To their surprise, four flames of different colors jumped to life in the four corners of the room. Lanterns shifted into view around the flames, and four ghosts appeared before their eyes.

"Poes," said Zelda, her lip curled in disgust."

"Hold on." Ganondorf stepped forward. "I may not have the same penchant for evil that my predecessors had, but that doesn't mean I never dabbled in the Dark Arts." He grinned at Zelda's startled look. "What? It comes in handy from time to time, even if you're not doing anything nasty. Just watch."

"We're not looking for any trouble," he addressed the ghosts. "We're just looking for something…an Ocarina, a small blue instrument. Do you know it?"

The Poes exchanged glances. "We know not this thing of which you speak," said the holder of a purple flame.

"Or at least," said one with an orange fire, "We don't remember."

They hung in the air with expectant expressions. Zelda looked to Ganondorf for help, but he seemed to be way ahead of her. "Hmm, that's too bad. Want to play, I suppose?"

"It gets lonely here," said the owner of a green flame.

"You'll play with us, eh?" asked a red one. It had a vicious air to its voice that made Zelda shiver. She had a feeling that any 'game' they came up with would not be much fun.

"Actually," Ganondorf said slowly as a plan formed in his mind, "We're already playing a game. Our friends want to find the Ocarina too. So we're having a race."

"If you want to play in our Temple, then you have to let us play, too," the purple one said sulkily.

"Actually, I think that would be a great idea. See, our friends have a much larger team." He made an exaggerated shrug of his shoulders. "We lost some of ours, so we're outmatched. We were hoping to even the odds, somehow…"

The room echoed with cackling, and Zelda instinctively stepped closer to Ganondorf. "You want us to waylay your friends?" the green one asked.

"Well, a little bit, yes. It would only be fair…"

"And to be fair, we have to haunt the two of you as well," said the green one. "But not as much."

"You can have a clue," said the purple one. It pointed to a small chest at the side of the room. Zelda opened it; inside was a map of the Temple. "You get a map, they don't. Sound fair?"

Ganondorf nodded.

More cackling laughter. The Poes streaked off, disappearing into the stone walls. "Well, hurry up!" they called. "This is a race, isn't it? See if you can find the Ocarina first…if at all!"

Ganondorf and Zelda ran to the nearest doorway, not needing the Poes' words to press them on.


End file.
